good morning. it is a fierce friday, from mother nature. >> a punishing storm is making its way out of california, stretching all the way to the great lakes. more than a dozen states in the crosshairs. we have the very latest forecast. developing overnight, the accused aurora theater gunman will stand trial. a judge ruling there is enough evidence to try him for that infamous shooting spree. double trouble. flu vaccines are scarce for some this season, as another virus, not the flu, spreads worldwide. and oscar's youngest nominee. the 9-year-old who is the talk of tinseltown, taking home a trophy last night. reading her speech off her bright pink phone.

good friday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. we begin with the arctic blast, bringing snow instead of sunshine to southern california. >> this morning, that powerful system is stretching all the way to michigan, with winter warnings and watches posted, now, in more than a dozen states. abc's michael barr has the latest. >> reporter: the arctic blast is dumping snow on southern california, shutting down interstate 5, north of los angeles. roads in higher elevations quickly turned icy. >> it's very, very icy up there. kind of dangerous roads. making sure to chain up before i head up there. >> reporter: along with snow and ice, the storm is bringing 45-mile-per-hour to 60-mile-per-hour winds to the west. the blustery weather triggered

mudslides near seattle. it's a cold front, sending a chill to the middle of the country. would notice that chill after getting severe weather more common in summer. >> our patio floor is actually over here in the neighbor's yard. we got outside. and we walked out to this. >> reporter: this week's storm damage, of downpours and tornadoes are bad enough where louisiana's governor declared a statewide emergency. michael barr, abc news. and for the very latest on exactly when and where the snow will hit and just how much it will get, we turn, now, to accuweather. >> meteorologist jim dickey is tracking the storm. >> good morning, rob and sunny. a mess in the northern west and the upper plains. an icy mix into minnesota, with wind-driven snow into the dakotas. blizzard conditions tonight. travel conditions will be

dangerous if not impossible. a foot of snow when it's all said and done. the pattern for this weekend, quite warm into the east. many spots challenging record highs saturday and sunday. rob and sunny, back to you. >> thanks a lot, jim. and sam champion will be tracking the storm and will have the latest information coming up on "good morning america." and now, turning to washington, where the forecast for ending the epidemic of gun violence is still cloudy. the outline of the vice president's proposal is beginning to emerge. but so is the plan to oppose it. abc's jonathan karl has more. >> reporter: on the day vice president biden met with the national rifle association, he made it clear he's pushing for the biggest expansion of gun control in two decades. >> there's got to be some common ground here. >> reporter: biden's proposals will likely include mandatory background checks on virtually every gun sale, and a ban on semi-automatic weapons and those ammo clips that hold dozens of bullets. that will pit him squarely against the nra.

>> everything that's been proposed impinges on people who have every right to own firearms. >> reporter: the nra has long been a lobbying force like no other. its unwavering opposition to gun control immortalized by its late president, charlton heston. >> from my cold, dead hands. >> reporter: recent polls suggest an opening for some gun control. a majority now favoring a ban on semiautomatic handguns. but it would be a mistake to think the nra's influence has waned. in the three weeks after the shooting in newtown, connecticut, the nra added more than 100,000 new members. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. and even as the vice president was holding those meetings in washington, another school shooting was taking place. this time, in california. police say a student snuck a shotgun into school and then struck one classmate in the chest and fired on another. fortunately, a heroic science teacher was able to talk him

down and disarm him. a sheriff said that the 16-year-old gunman told investigators he targeted the two students because they had bullied him. a colorado judge has given the go ahead to the trial of james holmes for the movie theater massacre last july. he will be back in court today, where he will officially be charged. abc's clayton sandell reports from aurora, colorado. >> reporter: the judge's ruling is not a surprise. after prosecutors spent three days laying out a mountain of evidence, including how holmes allegedly amassed guns and ammo, booby-trapped his apartment with explosives. even scoped out the theater weeks before the attack. they say holmes took eerie self-portraits just hours before the shooting started. >> he had black contact lenses on. and he sat in the courtroom delighted. >> reporter: holmes is charged with 166 counts, including murder and attempted murder, for

last summer's massacre that left 12 people dead and dozens wounded. his attorneys say he is mentally ill. families of the victims don't buy it. >> had all that time to plan it, write it, talk about it. no. you're not mentally ill. >> reporter: the courtroom drama is unfolding as this community is still struggling to heal. and next week, for the first time since the shooting, the theater where the massacre took place, will reopen its doors. next in the legal fight, holmes must decide how he will plead to the charges. and prosecutors will decide if they will seek the death penalty. clayton sandell, abc news, aurora, colorado. also, new details this morning about the secret service prostitution scandal ahead of president obama's visit to colombia last year. a justice department report found three drug enforcement administration agents had paid for sexual services. now, two of those agents hired a prostitute for a visiting secret service supervisor. the agents used their d.e.a. blackberries to arrange the

encounters and later tried to delete the information. and after a voft visit to the pentagon yesterday, hamid karzai meets at the white house today with president obama. the u.s. drawdown in afghanistan through next year is on the top of the agenda in all of karzai's meetings. leon panetta said, the u.s. is in, quote, the last chapter of the afghan war. here's something you don't see every day, snow blanketing the holy land. it was the biggest snowstorm in jerusalem in 20 years. all of the city's holiest sites were covered with several inches. eight people were killed this week as the storm battered the region. >> rare scene. >> the children were having fun. when we come back this morning, a missing child case is finally over after 19 years. then, whale watch. fear, relief. now, fear again about the fate of a pod of ice-bound killer whales.

and where is samuel l. jackson when you need him? the big snake that was found, that's right, on a plane.

welcome back, everybody. wall street will have a close eye on the world's third-biggest economy this morning. the japanese government has just approved a $117 billion economic stimulus plan aimed at creating 600,000 jobs and adding 2% to the country's gdp. the nikkei ended the day at its highest level in almost two years. the ax is swinging at american express. the credit card and financial

firm is slashing 5,400 jobs. amex says most of the cuts will be in its travel services, which has been hammered by corporate cutbacks and clients booking online. boeing 787 was supposed to be the next big thing in travel. but reports say federal officials say they're going to review the crime liner's power system. a three-foot crack was found in the cockpit window of a dreamliner an hour after takeoff of a flight in japan. the faa will hold a news conference following recent 787 incidents. united airlines, which operates six dreamliners, says it has no plans to ground the plane. and news for anyone hoping to save a few bucks on an iphone. apple is knocking down reports it's planning a cheaper version of an iphone. an apple executive is quoted as

saying, the company will not sell a less expensive version just for the sake of growing market share. walmart's big sale of iphone 5s for $157 ends tomorrow, replaced by a walmart-only no-contract version. >> that's a great price. i get it. all right. when we come back, a wake-up call about ambien. new warnings about too many people taking too much of the popular sleep drug. and vaccine alert. as the severe flu season spikes, supplies of the vaccine to d i, africa, 2004. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto-insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation,

hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ there's new concern this morning for those killer whales that broke free from the ice in canada. search planes have yet to find any signs of the whales. officials say there's a lot more ice. and they fear the orcas may be trapped again. the whales may need to swim under the ice for miles or wait for it to melt in warmer

weather. and with that, we take a look at your morning road conditions on this friday. slick passes in the cascades and sier sierras. heavy snow could make for a treacherous commute in the northern rockies and the midwest. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in salt lake city, minneapolis, chicago, atlanta, new orleans, charlotte, detroit, and new york. and now, to the story everybody around the country is talking about. a perfect storm of sickness is blowing across america this flu season. but it's not just the flu that's sending people to the hospital. >> that's right. there's a nasty stomach virus and whooping cough, too. and doctors are having a tough time keeping up. abc's tahman bradley has the latest. >> reporter: from coast-to-coast, americans are waging a losing battle against the nasty flu strain. doctors overrun with patients are running low on flu shots and tests, as the virus spreads. >> we're a little overwhelmed. not only the practitioners. but the caregivers in general.

>> reporter: more than 128 million vaccine doses have already been distributed nationwide. but krclinics can't keep up wit demand. >> it's tamiflu capsules that we're getting 40 or 50 prescriptions for them every day. >> reporter: it's all-hands on deck in the fight against the flu. >> it's going to take you probably two or three weeks to feel really good again. >> reporter: at holy name hospital in new jersey, one doctor isn't even administering flu tests. he's just handing out treatment. this morning, schools across the country are reporting hundreds of students out sick. one school district in oklahoma, even canceled class after a quarter of the students became ill. >> it came pretty fast. when it hits you, it knocks you quick. >> reporter: the flu season hasn't it its peak, but it's been deadly. amelia perry was diagnosed with

the virus and passed away. >> no clannic medical conditions. didn't take any medications. she was a healthy 22-year-old. >> reporter: it's not just the flu. a nasty stomach bug called norovirus is on the move throughout the country. doctors say it's extremely contagious and a serious concern for hospitals. tahman bradley, abc news. now, if you get sick, abc news medical editor richard besser says stay home if you can. if you have trouble breathing or you're getting better and take a turn for the worse, that's when you should head for the hospital. big news for the millions of americans who take sleeping pills. the fda is ordering drug companies that make ambien and similar medications to cut the dosage in half for women. new research shows the sleep aids stay in the body longer than initially thought. and women, in particular, process it more slowly. the study found eight hours after taking ambien, many women

are too impaired and drowsy to drive. a boy abducted by his grandparents 19 years ago in indiana has been found, living under a different name in minnesota. this is richard wayne landers jr., as a 5-year-old. he is now 24. landers was taken away by his grandparents who were upset over a custody fight. no word yet whether those grandparents will be prosecuted. and in sports this morning, nhl players have until tomorrow morning to approve a new labor deal that would end the current lockout. as for last night's hoops highlights, here's espn. >> doug kezirian with your "sportscenter" update. we start in the nba, with the knicks playing without the suspended carmelo anthony. colt coach chuck pagano, standing ovation. chuck strong in the nfl. j.r. smith, monster jam. 2 of his 25. although, the knicks muster just 34 points in the first half.

later, amare stoudamire, the left-handed scoop to go. knicks are down one. now, it's a nine-point deficit in the third quarter. paul george, one of his six steals. monster throwdown. indiana up double digits. later, more from george. 24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists. pacers have won nine-straight at home. go to college ranks. oregon, riding a ten-game home win streak, hosting number four, arizona, undefeated this year. good oregon "d," to t.j. singler in transition. he's the younger brother of kyle singlen. 7 of 11 behind the arch. 54%. singler. chip kelly liking what he sees. a three-point game. closing seconds.

arizona rebound. nick johnson has a chance for the wildcats. his pocket is picked by jonathan lloyd. arizona gives the oregon. the duck dating back to last season, it's 17-straight. have a great day. coming up, "the pulse." and an oscar name that's hard to remember. but one that you won't want to forget. forge[ ma r ] this is bob, a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib

not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®,

and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. all right. time to check "the pulse," now, the stories you'll be talking about today. and here is a young actress everybody will be talking about, between now and the oscars next month. >> that's right. she's 9-year-old quvenzhane

wallis, a best actress nominee for her role in the movie "beast of the southern wild." and quvenzhane, that's q-u-v-e-n-z-h-a-n-e, is taking hollywood by storm, winning a critic's choice award last night. >> thanks. hello. first, i would like to thank -- >> as for the oscars, quvenzhane is the youngest lead actress nominee ever. but justin henry, the kid in "kramer versus kramer, is the all-time youngest actor nominee. he was 8 years old. despite being snubbed in the oscar nominations, ben affleck took home best director at the critics' choice awards. "argo" won best picture. and after winning, he sarcastically thanked the academy. and passengers taking off from australia yesterday could

have used a little help from samuel jackson. >> enough is enough. i have had it with these [ bleep ] snakes on this [ bleep ] plane. >> how did he not win the oscar? that's all i'm saying. 20 minutes into a qantas flight, passengers noticed a huge snake dangling from the wing of the wing. it's the largest species of snake in australia. the snake managed to hang on for the trip. but it did not survive the ordeal. >> the snake slipped into the landing bay. they're known for hiding in confined spaces, to lie in wait for prey. can you imagine seeing that out of your window? >> and it didn't die, it was still there for a long, long time. that is pretty -- >> it's impressive. >> that is pretty impressive. so, let's get samuel l. jackson

on that plane. for some of you, now, your local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the early oscar score >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the early oscar score card. sh of coffee in and then fill the rest up with cream and it -- mommy, what's going on? what are you doing? so when we did the blonde roast, she finally went from a splash of coffee to only a splash of cream. and i thought that was so cool, i said "well she's enjoying this." ♪ ♪ starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news.

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so take your oral health to a whole new level. listerine®... power to your mouth™. updating the top stories. james holmes will be back in court today to be charged in the movie theater massacre. but his lawyers say they are not prepared to enter a plea. a 16-year-old student is in custody after shooting at his high school california school. a sheriff says he targeted at least two classmates who bullied him, shooting one of them in the chest. the storm that left parts of southern california covered in white is now moving across the country. heavy snow is coming down for salt lake city and the dakotas and northwestern minnesota. and the rest of your weather now. freezing rain from minneapolis to duluth. thunderstorms across the south. showers from knoxville to pittsburgh. shifting to the eastern seaboard by this afternoon. and finally this morning, the campaigning is already under

way, campaigning for oscar, that is. >> the academy awards are handed out six weeks from sunday. and if the winners are as surprising as some of the nominations, it should be a very exciting night. abc's david wright is in hollywood. >> reporter: directors, voting on this year's oscar nominations for best director, may not have appreciated this line from "argo." >> you teach somebody to be a director in a day? >> you could teach a rhesus monkey how to be a director in a day. >> reporter: they snubbed kathryn bigelow's "zero dark thirty." >> the director category was a shock to, i think, everybody in hollywood. the fact that both of them were off the list is shocking. and you have tom hooper, who directed "les miserables," which a lot of people loved.

>> reporter: tom hooper's "les mis" shut out for best director. so, too, tarantino's "django unchained." but all four movies are up for best picture. two small, independent pictures got in the final five. benh zeitlin's "beast of the southern wild." and michael haneke's "amour." a film showing in just three theaters here in the u.s. >> reporter: 85-year-old emmanuelle riva is the oldest ever for best actress. but two off the list, both from "django unchained" not slouches. no nomination for jamie foxx for for leonardo dicaprio. >> leonardo dicaprio is always the bridesmaid when it comes to the oscar. he's been nominated four times in the past. he's never won. this year, he didn't even get nominated. >> reporter: as expected,